


Light of the Moon

by Jor



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 12:52:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13054392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jor/pseuds/Jor
Summary: A novelization of the ending of Chapter 1, where Shuichi contemplates Kaede and his promise to her.





	Light of the Moon

I stepped through the doors painted to mimic a piano, and into Akamatsu-san’s lab. The moon casts a gloomy light through the gaps in the curtains; even it seems melancholic on this night. Perhaps it is simply coloured by my own mood. In any case, the melancholy provides a small comfort, as if the moon itself is in mourning, too…

I glance about the room, taking in the countless CD’s that line the walls and the grand piano in the center. Under the moonlight, the piano seems ethereal and otherworldly. It is, quite truly, magnificent. I would have liked to hear her play it… if only just once. I could have sat and listened as she weaved beauty out of the myriad of keys. It is a wonderful, beautiful talent -- a talent that creates a space for joy and for sorrow in their rawest states. Something about music itself inspires emotion in me that other forms of art can not quite match. That the Ultimate Pianist was denied the chance to offer her talent to her friends… to me… it is extremely cruel.

“Ah, that reminds me...” I say aloud, despite being alone. “That song that Akamatsu-san was talking about...” I ponder for a moment. Surely, among these CDs… Of course! It must be here somewhere.

I step up to the extensive shelves of CDs, sifting through them one by one, end to end. I have never been very well-versed in musical knowledge and most of the various names and titles that I come across are unfamiliar to me. Nevertheless, I have one in mind. A song that Akamatsu-san had mentioned to me before. I am going to find it. I  _ need  _ to find it. 

...

Ah...!   
  
[~ BGM: Clair de Lune ~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY)

After some time, I find it. I take Debussy’s  _ Clair de Lune _ and place it in the player in the corner. Soon, a soft melody fills the classroom. I lean my head back, letting it hang in the air as the sound seeps into my body. I feel relaxed and my body is enveloped in the music. It is a strange feeling. The melody is peaceful and in the otherworldly moonlight, gives me a feeling of transience; as if all of my struggles over the past few days are a simple blink in the eye of art and human history as a whole. I ponder on this timeless wonder of music for a few moments before closing my eyes. Immediately, thoughts of her flow through my mind. Things she had told me. Her voice, calm and sweet. The one lock of her hair that would consistently poke up and break the uniformity of the rest. Her smile. The way she laughed after hearing a joke. Her determination to fight against a world that was working against us; a world dominated by Monokuma and killing games.

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Saihara-kun.”

I can picture her at the piano now, holding my gaze with an encouraging smile.

“With you by my side, I feel like I can stand up to anything. You give me the courage I need to take on the mastermind.” 

Ah, her smile… So full of life. I place my hand on the side of the piano, unsure how to respond to her. To my surprise, she places her hand on mine. 

“So, please… be more confident. I believe in you, so you should definitely believe in yourself!”

Her encouraging grin widens, and I feel a spark of awe in my chest. It’s a miracle that such a wonderful person can even exist. I feel my lips move, even though the words that come forth feel strange and foreign in my mouth. “Yeah… I’ll try. I don’t know if I can do it, but…”

“No… I’ll do it! I have to believe in myself… I won’t be afraid anymore. I will face the truth…” 

I pause, and in spite of the lingering despair in my heart, I smile back at her.

“For you. For everyone. I won’t give up. For your sake, Aka...Kaede. I promise. From the bottom of my heart.”

She removes her hand, nodding slowly and silently to herself. She closes her eyes and begins to play. Her eyes close. She enters a dance with the instrument before her. Her body seems to ebb and flow with the song. She leans forward slightly as the notes play in a complicated dance, and as they dial back down, she leans her head back and smiles. It is as if her very being is one with the piano; one with the music, one with the very timelessness she invokes. As the CD comes to an end and the song fades out, she places her hands on her lap and sits in silence for a few moments.

“Yup, that’s our promise. I’m leaving everything up to you,” she says softly, fixing her gaze upon me again. I nod affirmatively in response. Her form begins to fade away.

“Goodbye, Shuichi.”

…

Goodbye…

Tears flow freely down my face, but I don’t let go of my smile. I have to be strong. For her. I have to fight against the despair in my heart. I have to find the mastermind, if there is one… I have to defeat Monokuma and survive with all the others. Then we can become friends, just like Kaede’s wish… No matter what, I won’t forget her. 

No matter what, I won’t give up.

I promise.


End file.
